Vitalik Buterin Backs ZKsync: Accelerating Ethereum’s Expansion and Advancing Layer 2 Solutions

Vitalik Buterin’s latest show of support for has sparked renewed debate about Ethereum’s scaling strategy, highlighting this Layer 2 solution as a central force in the network’s pursuit of widespread adoption. With the anticipated arrival of ZKsync’s Atlas upgrade in 2025, Buterin has openly praised the platform’s capacity to achieve 15,000 transactions per second (TPS), one-second finality, and minimal transaction fees, all while connecting liquidity between Ethereum’s Layer 1 and Layer 2 . This recognition, along with Foundation commentary and rising institutional engagement, highlights ZKsync’s promise to accelerate Layer 2 expansion and reinforce Ethereum’s reputation as a scalable, institution-ready blockchain.

ZKsync’s Innovations and Ethereum’s Scaling Aspirations

The Atlas upgrade debuts the ZK Stack, a toolkit that allows assets to move effortlessly between Ethereum’s Layer 1 and Layer 2. By removing the need for isolated liquidity pools, this advancement lessens capital inefficiency and transaction expenses, making Ethereum’s ecosystem more approachable for both individual and institutional participants

. According to a study by Bitget, the upgrade has already drawn notable enterprise interest, with the token’s price thanks to its deflationary design and increasing demand.

The Ethereum Foundation has also affirmed ZKsync’s advancements, especially its Airbender prover, which

using only two standard RTX 5090 GPUs. This achievement, emphasized by Ethereum researcher Justin Drake, could usher in a “gigagas L1” phase, where higher gas limits allow for more transactions per block and lower fees across the network . While Buterin points out a 60x performance gap between typical and worst-case outcomes, he stresses the importance of reforming gas pricing to ensure fair scaling .

Institutional Uptake and Market Trends

ZKsync’s progress has caught the attention of the wider DeFi sector. Top analysts observe that the platform now commands 15% of the Layer 2 total value locked (TVL),

but showing swift expansion. The forthcoming Fusaka upgrade, , is designed to boost throughput to 30,000 TPS, a milestone experts consider vital for maintaining ZKsync’s growth and drawing institutional investors.

Buterin’s renewed emphasis on privacy also aligns with Ethereum’s broader objectives. The Kohaku framework,

, offers modular solutions for privacy-focused wallets, tackling a major obstacle to mainstream use. Although still under development, initiatives like Railgun and Privacy Pools are already applying similar concepts to conceal transaction details, toward privacy-oriented infrastructure.

Challenges and Prospects

Despite its strengths, ZKsync must overcome several hurdles. The Ethereum Foundation has warned that complex operations—such as RSA verification—continue to be expensive for zero-knowledge provers,

. Moreover, established Layer 2 competitors like and remain formidable, and market share may shift as Fusaka’s capabilities are put to the test.

Nevertheless, the synergy of Buterin’s endorsement, Ethereum Foundation backing, and ZKsync’s ambitious development plan presents a strong case for investors. The platform’s delivery of shared liquidity, extremely low fees, and privacy-centric features positions it as a crucial driver of Ethereum’s vision for a scalable, secure, and user-friendly blockchain.

Summary

Vitalik Buterin’s support for ZKsync goes beyond mere symbolism—it signals a strategic convergence between Ethereum’s scaling objectives and ZKsync’s technical progress. With the Atlas and Fusaka upgrades, ZKsync is tackling Ethereum’s scalability challenges while reshaping the economics of Layer 2 adoption. For investors, the intersection of institutional interest, Ethereum Foundation approval, and a clear trajectory toward 30,000 TPS offers a compelling opportunity in the rapidly evolving blockchain sector.